


His Dark Calling

by Koteki



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: (briefly) - Freeform, Blood, Gen, suffocation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23143726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koteki/pseuds/Koteki
Summary: Something is not quite right with Steven Stone.Professor Syacmore has become an insomniac.Cilan is living his worst nightmare.Dawn has to find the thread linking the three.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23





	1. The Call

The red knife trembled out of his hands. Clattering to the ground as the outstretched hand, reaching out for his brother, ran out of life and fell to the ground. 

Tears dropped down and mixed with the blood on the ground. In the pool were two bodies. Two gym leaders of blue and red. 

A voice spoke through him. They both knew it wasn't Cilan's own voice. Muttering a half hearted 'oh dear' despite the gym leaders broken sobs and mental cries of anguish. 

They heard the voice calling them. A command to Cilan to pick up the knife. The gym leader let out a pitiful objection. The voice only grew harsher and ordered him to pick up the knife. 

Cilan looked over at him. Pleading. But he couldn't move. His body refused to obey him. Forcing him to watch the gruesome scene. 

The voice ordered again. Harsher. His will broken. The gym leader went down. And picked up the blood soaked knife. The tears were stopping but the trembling wasn't. Cilan had run out of tears to cry. 

_Come_

Cilan rubbed his eyes. Sniffling. Blood smeared across his face. He stood in place. Shaking like a leaf. He stepped towards the back door. The door that would let him out into the black starless night and where the one calling lurked. 

He rests a hand on the door frame. Looking back at him. Just on the border between the pitch black darkness and the bloodstained room of the kitchen.

"A-are...you...c-coming Steven?" 

Steven Stone found himself unable to respond. A hand was around his neck. Holding it tight. 

The voice echoed in his mind. Calling him. Louder and louder. Louder and louder. In every crevice of his mind it called him to come. Come. 

Steven sits up in the bed. His breath racing along with his heart. Pounding in his skull. His heartbeats couldn't drown out the voice calling him to come. 

He gripped the sheets before stepping out of the bed. He heads up to the window and looks out into the pitch black night. He looked down at his hands. 

A flicker of red appears upon them before nothing. He covers his eyes. 

He was still being called. Called by the voice that lurked deep down in his mind. But being called to what? And where? 

He already knew didn't he? He knew where to go and who to seek. Over the seas and through the woods. In another dimension, another world. 

They were waiting for him. They needed him. 

Metagross called to him. It had awoken to see its trainer by the window. It was enough to make Steven realise how badly he was trembling.

He looked over at a mirror. Seeing how he appeared to his pokemon. Half covered in darkness with his hair bedraggled. His eyes somehow, as if he had been crying, bloodshot with heavy bags under them. 

The Metagross called out again. Looking up at Steven. 

He smiled. Trying to reassure his pokemon that he had simply had a bad nightmare. Another one like the ones he had been having the past few nights. 

Omitting the fact this was the first one he remembered clearly. Not just the muffled voices and flashes of an sleepwalking professor and insomniac gym leader. 

The pokemon seemed unsatisfied with his explanation. Quietly calling out again. 

He opened his mouth to reassure him again. That all was fine. But it was not. The grip reappeared and held onto his neck. Suffocating the words.

_It is time for you to come_

He had to take his pokemon with him. They all needed to come. Out into the darkness. 

No. 

Steven fought back. Refusing to follow this unknown voice that was invading his mind. Plaguing his sleep with things he should not be able to see and he could not be certain were real. 

She appeared in his room. A dark blue haired girl with a white scarf and a red coat. Her eyes were pierced through him. She uttered not a word. A heavy, uneasy and nightmarish presence covered her. 

He looked at Metagross then at her. Surely he could see her too? Was he losing his mind? 

Metagross looked over to where she was. Moving around... 

Steven returned Metagross to his pokeball.... or was it someone else? Megatross was in his pokeball now. But had Steven done it or the force that had made Cilan kill?

....Had he ever met Cilan? 

Her footsteps brought his attention to her. She walked across the floor to the door. She looked back. Waiting. Expecting. 

_Follow_

The voice reemerged from his mind. This time. It voiced was laced with an uneasy calmness. A calmness that implied if he didn't it would take control and make him follow. 

The girl moved through the door.

Steven held his breath. Shaking before going to get changed into his usual outfit. He scrambled and fumbled as he put on his clothes. 

He took his pokemons pokeballs and headed out the door. 

The girl stood outside. Staring out towards the ocean. She turned around and looked at him. She turned and started to walk away.

Steven looked down at his pokeballs. He put them away. Looked up at her. 

He could hear his heart beating. The voice was calling. The skies were pitch black. Into the blackness. He followed the girl. 

The familiar sights of Hoenn became unfamiliar. Foreign. There was an unnatural silence. Not even the sounds of the nocturnal pokemon could be heard. 

There was no rustling of leaves. No blowing of the wind. Even time seemed frozen. 

They walked. And walked. Within the absolute silence that was never broken. 

His body started to feel heavy. The trees, the grass, the ground. All began to blur and spin into one. A spinning vortex of black and red. 

He stopped before the vortex. A heavy weight trying to pull him in. The voice called him to go through. He stayed firm. A stubborn last ditch defiance against an overwhelming force. 

As punishment, the voice made his body no longer his own. It pulled Steven down and bound him in chains. Pulling him into the vortex.

"The champion of Hoenn, Steven Stone, along with his pokemon, has vanished without a trace."


	2. -Sycamore-

It was dark. 

The professor stood among the rubble. Silent. Sleepless. Haunted. 

Nothing had changed. Days had past and it was still here. Days past and he could still relive it vividly. Day after day.

He kept on waking up here. The memory haunted his dreams like a reoccurring nightmare. He could never escape it. Every time he closed his eyes he could see it. 

He could hear the voice too. Calling him. Calling. Over and over and over. Night after night. 

It came from the forest. Beckoning him. Calling him to come into it's waiting darkness. To come with the others he saw in his dreams. The haunted champion and trembling gym leader. 

It wanted him to come. But why him?

_Syacamore_

Lysandre. 

He turns around, trying to see his friends face. He heard his voice again. He called out. Moving amongst the rubble trying to find him. Where was he? 

He wasn't imaging this was he? A hallucination born out of his sleep deprived mind? Yet it was so clear... yet he was alone amongst the crumbling ruin. 

Another call. This time he knew where it came from. The forest. 

He stopped. Stood still. That wasn't Lysandre. It was the voice. 

He moved away from the forest. Lysandre- no it was the voice. No matter how loud it called he kept back. He fought back. Holding his head as it started to scream. Scream for help in Lysandre's voice. 

It. Wouldn't. Stop. 

He fell to his knees holding his head. Other voices joined in. His assistants. The pokedex holders. Louder and louder and louder and louder and louder and LOUDER AND LOUDE-

Quiet. 

He could finally breath again. Wiping away the wetness in his eyes he started to count to steady his beating heart. Pull himself back to the stable ground.

What..... was all that? What was that?

He brushed his hair back as he stared down at the ground. 

He wondered if his assistants were looking for him. The number of times they had woken up in the middle of the night and gone out to search for him... 

He couldn't do anything right could he...? He failed to stop Lysandre..and now he was being a burden to his own assistants... they were his assistants not his caretakers...

A branch snaps. He looks up. In front of the forest was a dark blue haired girl and the champion from his dreams- no wait- was he Steven Stone?

What was he doing in Kalos? Why had he been having dreams about the champion? Wait hadn't he stepped down-

Hang on. Hadn't he seen that girl before? Or was it heard? Had Professor Rowan mentioned one of the pokedex holders had dark blue hair-

His mind was a muddled mess. Everything felt blurry. He too exhausted yet not enough to fall asleep. 

They were going into the forest- The forest were the call was coming from.

The voice. 

He could hear it calling to the champion. No.

He rushed to his feet as the two entered the silent forest. Branches that seemed to reach out and pull the two in. 

He called out for them to stop. Wait. They ignored him. He crossed the forests edge reaching out to grab onto something. He had to stop them. He had to stop them-

Did he see the world melt away? He was so focused on stopping them. To prevent another Tragedy he let himself be lured in. 

It should have been so clear. The hazy colours of the two. The unclear outlines. Their ghost like appearance. They weren't really there. 

The aura around the girl should have made it clearer. Such a sickening aura. It wrapped itself around your neck and held it tight. You can try to scream but it stops the air from reaching your lungs as you struggle.

Even when they had vanished the professor searched for them. Looked high and low trying to find them..... high and low was an inaccurate statement. How can you seek high and low when there's nothing but black?

He started to hear the voice again. He could feel it's presence behind him. He turned to try to see the one who owned the voice. It stayed behind him. Always. 

It lamented his failure to stop them. It's voice expressed pity. It then made a promise. If he just came along... he could save them. He would never have to worry about failing to save anyone ever again. 

He could use his knowledge of mega evolution to ensure it. He could even use it to continue Lysandre's dream to keep the world beautiful.. without resorting to such desperate measures. He could prove that it could be done via less destructive measures. 

That way he could make sure there was never another Lysandre... he just had to come. 

The voice went quiet. The professor turned around. A red and black void was there behind him. Swirling around. Patiently waiting. 

The Professor swallowed. Hesitating. His gut was telling him to run. But where? There was nowhere to run. No where he could go in this black abyss.

He stood there. Time flowed on. Silence weighted the air. 

He walked into the void.

A girl yawned as she sat by the lake. Her starter next to her as she looked over to the cave. She had just finished another tour around the region and had just returned to twin leaf town. 

For old times sake.. she decided to go visit the lake where it all began. How little she had known of the journey she would embark upon when she had come here. 

She stretched. Standing up and gently awakening her starter. It was getting far too late. It was best she head home before she fell asleep here. 

She suddenly heard a noise. A glowing wing fell down. A Lunar wing. She looked up to see the dream pokemon before her. The pokemon looked at her, fear evident in its eyes. Not fear of the Trainor. No. Or Yes?

The pokemon wasn't too sure itself how it was possible. Yet it could not doubt it senses. This was not the Trainor that walked through dreams. 

Something was very wrong.

'Professor Sycamore from Kalos disappeared last night-'


	3. -Straiton-

Blinking herself awake. Dawn yawned and rubbed her eyes. Her starter Empoleon helping her to her feet. 

After her meeting with Cresselia. Dawn had bought the first ticket to the Unova region. The place were the first of the mysterious disappearances had occurred. Next was Hoenn...Then Kalos. 

While she slept as she travelled by plane, Cresselia told her what it knew. Not too long ago. A familiar yet unfamiliar force arrived in their world. It disrupted the dreams of the missing three up until their disappearance.

Why them in particular it didn't know. How they disappeared in the middle of the night it didn't have the answers too either.

Cresselia also spoke of a doppelganger of the Sinnoh Champion. Exactly like Dawn in every way.

A perfect duplicate. She wondered if it was a ditto or a zoarark... but she was sure those pokemon couldn't enter dreams... maybe it was simply an illusion created by whoever or whatever was behind this.

Dawn held up the town map. She just had to continue following the road out of Nuvema town...and then she should be at Straiton. 

She hoped she could find some clues there. Hear what his brothers knew and investigate the scene. This wasn't going to be easy but she had to try.

She took down her campsite and put it away in her bag. She did a little strech before continuing on her walk down the path.

It wasn't long till she felt an unnerving presence. Like someone was watching her. Staring. Angry. She stopped and looked around. Trying to see what was looking at her so angrily. 

Empoleon looked over at her. "Empoleon?" 

She looked around again before shaking her head. "Nothing Empoleon. I thought I.... no never mind.....I think." 

She still felt the presence. She looked around one last time. In the corner of her eye, amongst the trees. She saw herself. Staring. Before she disappeared. 

She gripped her bag strap before continuing to walk. Empoleon lagged behind. Clearly more alert then it had been before.

The rest of their walked was followed by an uneasy silence. Dawn clung onto her bag strap. Constantly feeling eyes on her back but desperately trying to ignore it. She stared down at her feet. Taking in the tiniest details of the road beneath her feet in order to try and distract herself from the feeling.

She should have really been looking ahead. That way she likely would have seen the red haired gym leader blazing towards her. In her defense. He wasn't exactly looking forward, nor was he listening to his brother exclaiming:

"CHILLI. SLOW DOWN. YOU'LL-"

In his defense, because we're trying to be fair here, he would have been looking forward had his brother not been running after him trying to persuade him to calm down. As then he wouldn't have had to tell back how he was going to find Cilan because it had been a month and the police still had no clue where he was so they were clearly incompetent-

We will end this debate here. Otherwise we could write an entire novel about it.

"S-sorry miss- Look what you did Cress!" Chilli quickly got off Dawn and held out his hand to help her to her feet. 

"It's fine-" she takes his hand and stands up. She brushes herself off as Cress rushed over.

"You should have been looking where you were going!!" He grabbed his brothers arm before turning his attention to Dawn. "My apologies for my brothers behaviour. Are you alright?" 

"I am quite fine." She smiled. "However, Perhaps you could help me find someone? I'm heading to Straiton to meet the gym leaders there. Do you two know where they may be?"

The two looked at each other. 

"You're speaking to them right now! Chilli! I light things up with fire type pokemon!"

"Cress. I'm the water type specialist..." Cress's voice grew much quieter. "and our brother Cilan..."

"He handled the grass type pokemon... but he... disappeared..." A fire lit in Chilli's eyes. "Which is why I was just on my way to go find him!" 

Cress grabbed his brother by the collar as the first gym leader started to go and dash off on his quest.

"Chilli. As I said. Leave it to the police." Chilli glared at his brother as his collar was released. His fists were tightly clenched but he didn't run off. "Are you here to challenge us? I'm afraid we're not taking challengers-"

"I wish to talk to you about Cilan."

The brothers froze. Their eyes met each other before they looked at Dawn.

"....Why? Do you-"

"Do you know something we don't about his disappearance?!? Who are you anyway??" 

The two brothers were on edge. Cress had his arm out in front of his brother, almost holding him back as Chilli's hand trembled. 

"What do you know- no, who are you first?" Cress questioned looking directly at her.

"...My names Dawn." 

"....why does the Champion of Sinnoh want to know about a Unovan gym leader? You're a long way away from Sinnoh... why are you here?"

Why indeed. Dawn wasn't fully sure how to explain it- what did you say to someone's family that their brother was likely abducted or kidnapped by some unknown force that also seemed connected to an unknown doppelganger of herself.

"I...have reason to believe his disappearance is tied to two others. Professor Sycamore of Kalos and Steven Stone from Hoenn. Cilan was the first to disappear... so I came here first." 

"That doesn't explain why a Sinnoh champion is here." Cress's eyes bore through her. The roles the two brothers had now switched, Chilli was now holding his brother back.

"...I..." she paused. Empoleon placed a fin on her shoulder. "...A few days ago, I was returning to my home town. I stopped by a lake.. and I was visited by Cresselia."

"The mythical pokemon? One of the Lunar duo?!"

She nodded. Empoleon kept his fin on her shoulder. "I will not recount all that had happened... however... She reported sightings of...another me. And this other me.. seems to have a tie to these disappearances-"

"Another you?!? Like an illusion or a ditto or-" 

"I don't know. But according to Cresselia.. from what she felt from this other me.. it seems she is fully human.. but she bears a dark presence. Regardless. Cresselia asked me to investigate... so please. Tell me all you know about your brothers disappearance." 

There was a brief moment of hesitation between the brothers. An exchange of glances. 

"...Is this really true?" Cress questioned. His voice was laced with doubt. His blue eyes felt like they were piercing through Dawn.

"Cress! Didn't Cilan have nightmares before he disappeared? Or did you not notice?"

"Nightmares?"

"...Yes... Something about-" Cress stopped. Their eyes all met. "...He never remembered clearly but it was a girl with a human like figure..."

"The figure could be Darkrai-" Dawn began before Chilli charged in.

"Wasn't it two? Pretty sure Cilan mentioned two human like pokemon. He could never remember but he mentioned one was cat like but the other blended into the background-" 

"Two? Chilli are you sure it's two?"

Chilli stopped and nodded. "Yeah. Two. Sometimes one but mainly two."

"....Who is the second then?" Dawn paused and thought. Clearly one had to be Darkrai... Cresselia's involvement clearly implicated that the nightmare legendary was involved.. but then who was the second? Was it possible there were two Darkrais?

"I do not...recall Cilan ever mentioning...." Cress frowned and stared off away. "....You said that there were two other disappearances. Are you going to investigate them?"

"Yes- Do you wish to come with me?"

"Cilan's our brother! Of course we want to go and find him! Gym's closed anyway-" Chilli waved his hand nonchalantly. "League has already given us some time off. So we're going to go with you!"

"And time is off the essence. The longer they are missing the more danger they are in. There are two more missing. We can split off and investigate the two. Then we can report our discoveries." 

"Two birds with one stone..." Dawn looked over at Empoleon. He seemed cautious of the two brothers, but even so he looked over at her and nodded. "It's an excellent plan. Do you have a way for us to keep in contact and report our findings?"

The three exchanged phone numbers. Discussing the details of they're next meeting. As they did they remained unaware of the presence watching them from beyond the trees. 

A girl with a dark aura. Watching and staring at the girl with the same face as her. 

A single choice. One flap of a butterfrees wing that could cause a tornado. 

What had made the two so different? What was different about them? 

The bitter emotions fed her dark aura. Making it grow strong. She looked down at her poketch. Then looked at the three. There was still hours till night. Her abilities were strongest at night.

A presence appeared behind her.

_...Should we be concerned?_

She looked over at the group They seemed to have organised themselves and were moving towards the gym.

_...Do you wish to deal with your other self yourself?_

She nodded. 

_The others?_

She looked at the presence. His tail moved back and forth.

_Very well._


	4. Cilan

He felt himself slipping away. 

No. It was ripped away. All his goals, dreams, fears, ideals, truths. His very self.

He was held in the air. The force invading his head. He tried to struggle. Break free of its grip.

Cilan looked down. Looking at the psychic pokemon invading his mind. Instead, he saw himself. With red eyes and a devilish smile.

A field of pink surrounded him. Someone cried out. Someone. A thousand voices fill his mind as it was bound in invisible chains. His body no longer his own. 

Maybe he should fall asleep. Close his eyes and succumb to it all. His hands were stained in the blood of his brothers. In the darkness he could escape the living nightmare he was trapped in. 

A muffled cry. 

Nothing was clear. Invisible chains bound him. He could no longer see. He could no longer hear. The abyss had claimed him and called him their own. 

His body an empty puppet. The pokémon pulled its strings. 

The champion and the professor watched it all in horror. Eyes wide as the cat like pokémon lowered the gym leader. The puppet's eyes now red. Obediant. Silent.

Metagross held its ground in front of Steven. Despite it's injuries, it had fight left within it. 

The same could not be said for the professor's Venasaur. A shadow ball had finished the last shred of fight it had inside, making it return inside its pokeball.

Another one hit it's trainor. Forcing him to crash against a rock and tumble down. 

Steven helped the professor to his feet. Metagross moved in front of them both. 

The pokémon flicked its tail.

It formed a shadow ball in its paw. Locking eyes with Metagross. 

_I admire your conviction. You would be a worthy ally_

He aimed. Yet a shadow appeared in front of him. The nightmare pokemon took form and stared into his eyes. 

_You are in my way._

Darkrai moved to the side. It's eye firmly on Mewtwo. The pokemon aimed again before stopping. 

_Is there a problem?_

Mewtwo looked at Darkrai. The nightmare pokemon looked at the gateway. Up high on one of the large floating rocks that littered this world. Above the chained Giratina that roamed this world, and the Giratina that had come with them hovered around it. It watched. 

_If you are worried about her. Go and check upon her._

Steven holds onto the Professor, he kept his quivering eyes upon them. The professor himself hazed in and out of consciousness. His ears rang. 

Darkrai made a quiet noise. Looked over at the portal then at Mewtwo.

_I have to finish taking these two_

Darkrai looked over at Steven. Metagross stared directly at the legendary. Let out a growl like noise.

Darkrai sent the pokemon to sleep. Before Steven could react he had felt a heavy exhaustion upon him. He had tried to remain standing. The professor had started to slip from his hands. His fruitless struggle quickly ended.

The pink legendary had used its telekinetic powers to stop the two from crashing to the ground. A small mercy.

_I was testing their strength_

Darkrai looked at the pokemon with a doubtful eye. They heard Giratina cry out. It flew up to the two.

_You as well? I should have done this alone._

Giratina had flown around them. Darkrai looked over at the cat pokemon. Then at the perfectly obedient Cilan puppet. 

_Fine. I shall go check upon Dawn. I expect you both to keep them under your watch_

The pokemon had flown up to the gateway between them. Stepping through the bright light.

The chained Giratina had let out a weak cry. It tried to break out of its chains, pushing its body against them.

Their Giratina floated down. Allowed Darkrai to climb onto the legendaires back. Giratina flew down. It circled around the bound Giratina like a hungry Mandibuzz.

Darkrai held up its hands. It prepared it's nightmare powers.

It returned the pokemon to its nightmare filled dream. Giratina had let out a mourn filled broken cry as it was dragged back into the nightmarish dreams. 

Their Giratina had flown back up to the gateway. Letting Darkrai disembark before it returnned on its patrol across the unfamiliar distortion world.

Darkrai looked over at a solitary floating island. The one that had had the wormhole their group had arrived through. 

An experiment to test their strength.

That was what the cat legendary had said. Darkrai cared very little for tests. They were very aware of their uncontrollable power. It could choose to trap their victims in nightmares. Or trap them by accident. Or, if they were the unlucky winner of a nightmarish lottery, become cursed with the same uncontrollable power.

A fate they would not wish on anyone. 

Darkrai was never too keen on affairs outside it's own realm. They had only come here on Dawn's insistence. 

They didn't understand why they were here. To make this world as nightmarish as theirs?

A cruel endeavour- but Dawn had insisted they follow Mewtwo's lead. She agreed with him immediately and made her intentions clear.

Darkrai did not wish to disagree with her. Giratina was the same. 

Something had shifted within her when they arrived. It only grew with her seeing this worlds Dawn. Her nightmarish curse grew stronger the more she saw her.

They wished they could stay by her side while she was out in that foreign world, but the two being near each other would make their detection easier. His power unable to be hidden. And so, they stayed here. 

And waited. Waited. 

They looked over at the two pitiful humans and the patient puppet. 

They had been chosen for a reason. Based on the knowledge they had on their counterparts from their world. 

The puppet had been easier then expected. This world was not fully like their own... in their he was much more-

Dangerous.

Their musings was brought to an end as Dawn stepped out of the gateway. Darkrai walked towards her. Her gaze was low. He stood in front of her. Silent. She embraced him. He returned the embrace.

Mewtwo returned from the portal. Not a word was said amongst them. Darkrai held the girl quietly. Only Giratina had let out a low cry. 

Mewtwo jumped down to the platform. It lifted up the two unconcious trainers. 

_Giratina. Take Cilan up_

The pokemon had flown down. Allowed for the puppet to embark before flying up. Then let Cilan slide down. 

He waited.

Dawn had had gradually let go of Darkrai. She walked over to Mewtwo. She held up a photo. Mewtwo nodded.

The photo was of the striaton triplets. They soullesy stared at the camera. It was shown to the puppet.

If Cilanstill had an element of control he would have found it very strange. He would never have recalled the photo being taken. He'd question why his brothers and himself looked so... empty.

The puppet had instead focused on his orders. His targets.

Cress and Chilli.

Bird pokemon twitter in the distance. The two brothers held out their map.

An uneasy silence between the two. Every step was a step on cracking ice. One a torrid storm trapped inside a glass. The other an anxious spark ready to start a roaring blaze.

"Are you sure we're heading the right way?" Chilli questioned. He looked over the map once agin.

"Yes I'm quite certain this is the right way." Cress's eyebrow twitched. "Please. Kindly. Stop asking. You've been constantly asking me since we arrived."

"Because! I'm pretty sure your taking us the wrong way- and the longer we take-"

"Chilli! Stop!" Cress stopped in place and looked over at his brother. "I know. Your worried. So am I! But hounding me-" he paused. His eyes looked away.

Chilli had frozen. Glanced to the side then at his brother. "...I'm sorry..." he says quietly.

Cress looked at his brother. "I'm...so sorry too." He takes his brothers hand. "We'll get him back. I promise. We two parts of the striaton triplets aren't we?"

Chilli squeezed his brother's hand and nodded. "Right! We're the Striaton trio! No one can stop us! We can get him back!' 

Cress nodded. A small smile formed on his face.

They continued on their walk. He looked down at the map. "We shouldn't be too far- according to the map-" He felt a tug. A tug that stopped him from moving forward.

"Chilli? Why did you?" He followed his brothers eyes. 

Cilan smiled and waved. "Cress. Chilli." 

There had been a moment of silence before the two brothers hug tackled Cilan. They cried out his name and held their brother tightly.

Tears blurred their vision and they held their brother close. All composure had been ost. Could you blame them? Their brother disappeared in the middle of the night leaving behind only blood. 

Not a word, note, sign of his where abouts. His safety.

Days spent anxious pacing back and forth in fear and worry over his safety. Hoping he would return. Hoping he would give them something. A clue. A sign. 

The looming dread of the chance he was dead. Something neither of them wanted to confront. Yet grew ever real as the days passed by. 

And here he was. In front of them.

Alive. 

But, if only they had looked closer at his eyes. Maybe the tears made it harder for them to notice how his green eyes were now red. Red as the blood he had left behind.

'Cilan' played along. He played the role of brother happy to see his brothers again. It was a part he played without emotion, but to the two so consumed in emotion, they failed to notice.

He waited. Waited for an opportune moment. Then he carefully pushed them away. "Cress.... Chilli... You need to follow me... I have to show you something..." 

"What happened-" Chilli had began to question.

"All will be explained." He cut through the question more sharply then a knife. Cold like one as well.

Cress wiped away his tears. 

Cilan started to move away. Indicated for them to follow. Chilli began to follow. Cress didn't.

A brief moment of clarity was all it took.

It was all he needed to notice the red eyes. 

He grabbed Chilli's arm. Pulling him back. Chilli had tried to wrench his arm out of his brothers grip. 

"Cress?! What are you doing!?! Let me go!!" He yelled. He pulled his arm away. Cress grabbed onto his arm. 

"I don't think that's Cilan." Cress's voice trembled.

"What are you talking about!? Of course it's Cilan! Why are do you think it isn't!?!"

"Cress..." the puppet said.

Cress shooked his head. "Chilli..." 

"Cress... please... This is very important..." the puppet placed his hand on his own chest. "I can't handle this on my own..."

Cress's grip remained firm on Chilli's arm. "What did you do to Cilan." He whispered. 

"Cress-"

"You're not Cilan. Your eyes are red. What did you do to Cilan." Chilli looked at Cress then at Cilan. Silent. 

The puppet went quiet. "I don't know what your talking about-"

"What. Did. You. Do."

There was a heavy heavy silence. 

Then the shell responded. "You need to come with me."

"Why should we-"

"If you want Cilan you will come with me." No more pretending. Unnaturally devoid of emotion. It pierced through the brothers like a knife. 

"Ci...lan?" Chilli whispered. He held onto Cress tightly. All colour drained from his face. A flame trembled. 

"I won't repeat myself. Master wishes to meet you both." It showed no care for Chilli. His face was blank. His eyes glowed red. 

"Where do you want us to go?" Cress questioned. 

"To meet Master. They're waiting." He turns around. Headed towards the direction he had come from. 

The two looked at each other. Cress stayed firm while Chilli started to follow. Cress pulled him back. 

"We shouldn't follow." Cress said quietly. "It's dangerous. We know something is up and we could end missing-"

"But what if we can get Cilan back if we follow?" Chilli questioned. "This could be our only chance-"

"How can you be sure of that? It's his word."

"Cilan's life is not guaranteed if you don't come with me." The brothers looked at the puppet. A glint of a hidden knife. 

"...and if we come..." Cress's voice trailed off.

"He will be safe."

The two glanced at each other. "We'll come." Chilli said. Cress nodded quietly in agreement.

"Them follow." Cilan said. He turned around and headed into the woods. The two brothers followed. 

They walked in absolute silence. 

Not a word spoken amongst them.

An opening appeared before them. The puppet stopped and turned to face them. "Through here." It stood. Waiting.

Through the opening they could see the bound Girantina. With another floating around it. Darkrai watched from above.

The two approached. Cress let go of Chilli's hand. Then pushed him away. 

"Run." He grabbed the puppet and pushed him through. "I'll find Cilan. You find Dawn! Go!" 

Chilli froze him place. Strange shadow started to come out of the opening. Cress threw out panpour.

"Panpour! Water gun at those shadows! Chilli! RUN!" Cress cried out. 

"I'm not losing-"

"You aren't! RUN!" He pushed his brother once again. The puppet grabbed Cress and started to pull him through.

"CRESS!" Chilli screamed. 

"RUN!" Cress yelled before wrestling with the puppet. Pushing him down.

Chilli was frozen in place. The shadows moved closer. He turned. And ran. Reluctance weighing him down. 

Yet he still ran. Ran like burning fire. Far. Far. Far away from the wormhole. Far away from his brother. 

Alone. His brothers cries became quieter. Quieter. Silent.

He stopped. Caught his breath. Punched the ground as he fell to his knees. Over. Over. Over. 

He stood up. 

He pulled out his Xtranciver. Calling Dawn's number. Praying she would pick up soon. He began to pace. Back and forth. Back and forth.

Ring

Ring

Ring

He glanced back. His pace began to slow down as he appeared to be alone. 

Ring

Ring

click

"Chilli?" He heard Dawn's voices. He looked over at the screen. 

"Dawn- They got Cress." His voice was weak. So weak. It dawned upon him his face was wet. Tears flowed like rivers down his face and he could not make it stop. His ears were ringing. 

Just. Ringing. 

"Chilli?" 

Dawn's voice. It broke through the ringing. 

Even on a tiny screen he could feel her emotion. She looked up at him. 

"Chilli. What happened." Her voice was softer then a whisper.

"We- I-" he took a deep breath. Closing his eyes. He was a smoldering flame. Desperate. Smoking. "We- saw Cilan- no. No that wasn't Cilan. It looked like him but- It wasn't..." 

'I'm taking you to see Master'

The flame reignited.

He told her all that had occurred while the flame began to grow.

Bigger and brighter.

He was going to burn them. Burn whoever was responsible for this and take back his brothers. And whoever else it had taken.

Burn them to a crisp. 

They had made a terrible mistake.


End file.
